Page 84 of Chaos

“Darling,” I croon with a laugh that’s only a little amused, and entirely sardonic. “They’ve been talking to me like that for a long time. No one’s ever stopped them before.”

Tension tightens that grimly-set mouth. “That’s not okay.”

“If I had a dollar for every time something not okay happened to me…” Well, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn't need to be. That cushy sum sitting in my confiscated bank account would be obsolete—it would look small in comparison. “It’s fine. I don’t care. Let it go.”

Finn does. For reasons I cannot fathom, he really, really cares. He’s really, really irritated, all frowny and dour, grumbling beneath his breath as he thrusts something towards me. “Here.”

Though we momentarily become a matching pair as wrinkles crease my forehead too, my frown is quick to smooth out. It’s quick to become open-mouthed surprise that tips a little too close to awe, considering Finn isn’t offering me anything spectacular. There isn’t a big, shiny diamond sitting in the clear, plastic bag he clutches.

Just my guilty pleasure in the form of lots of little, yellow-and-orange-and-white striped triangles.

“For the record,” he grunts, but some of those razor edges have dulled. “I think your obsession with candy corn is slightly demonic.”

Hissing my offense, I snatch the bag away, and I completely forget about Lissa fucking Ford as I stuff my face with pure sugar. “Then why are you enabling it?”

Another grunt. No real answer.

Until we start a slow trek back to the others and I start tossing pieces of candy and I smile every time I catch one, and Finn smiles too.

And he says, “That’s why.”

21

He wants to crawl inside her brain and rip out every last bad memory.

And he wants to do terrible, vicious things to the people who created them.

“Did you finish it?”

I peer down at the little boy clutching my legs. “Finish what, buddy?”

The spitting image of his mother, Alex gives me a look that reeks of exasperation. ““Izzy’s blankie.”

Ah, shit.

“Not yet.” Palming the top of his head, I gently push him away from the hot stove, turning off the burners so breakfast doesn’t burn while I squat down to my nephew’s level. “But soon, yeah?”

Alex drops his head back and sighs like I’ve dealt him the utmost inconvenience, so dramatic it makes my mouth twitch.

“You want some breakfast, kiddo?”

That perks him up. At his emphatic nod, I ruffle his hair and straighten to grab a plate from the warm stack beside the stove and load it up with the only foods I’m really capable of cooking well—scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage. I’m adding toast to the pile when Alex suddenly hollers, and I glance over my shoulder just in time to watch him hurtle across the kitchen and into the arms of his second favorite man.

“Damn, Alex.” Finn whistles as he hoists the kid up without breaking his stride, looming over me half a second later. “Leave some for the rest of us.”

My gaze drops to the full plate of food I belatedly realizeIprobably couldn’t even finish. And, I also realize, Alex probably has a plastic plate that won’t shatter into a million sharp pieces with a slip of his clumsy toddler fingers. Jesus, I probably would’ve given him real cutlery too, wouldn’t I?

Ah, shitagain. Aunt of the fucking year.

Sighing, I move to ditch my terrible parenting attempt, but before I can, Finn snatches the plate away. “The little man’ll share with me. Won’t you, bud?”

Eyes wide, Alex enthusiastically agrees like that would be the honor of his life.

Bouncing him on his hip, Finn carries him to the table and smoothly transfers him to his booster seat. “You on your own today?” he asks me as he dips into the cutlery drawer to grab a yellow plastic fork before taking the seat beside Alex.

Nodding, I absentmindedly explain that Eliza is sick, Lux is holed up in her office, Jackson is knee-deep in a feed delivery. He asks something else and I register it enough to answer, but I’m not quite all there, I’m a little distracted. A little too focused on other things.

Like the soft, sweet upturn of a pair of full lips as Finn talks to me, but smiles at Alex. Playfully fights him for a piece of bacon.Listens intently as the toddler blabbers about the Halloween costume he wore a couple of days ago.

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